In the field of semiconductor device fabrication, inter-level dielectric (ILD) materials are used to separate conductive elements such as metal interconnect lines. As device sizes shrink, the smaller spacing between these conductive elements leads to increased parasitic capacitance that causes problems such as delays in signal transmission. Low dielectric constant (k) materials are desirable for use as inter-level dielectrics to minimize the parasitic capacitance. Because air has the lowest dielectric constant of one, materials that are porous have a low dielectric constant. Numerous fabrication processes have heretofore been used to produce porous low dielectric materials. However, the resultant low dielectric materials are generally fragile, soft, and mechanically unstable. These materials are often unable to withstand the mechanical and/or chemical processes that follow in the fabrication process.